Hey. I’m Matt Ruby (matt@mruby.com) and this is Sandpaper Suit, my comedy blog. About me: I'm a standup comic in NYC. You may have seen me telling jokes on MTV, in Time Out NY, or at comedy venues around the country. Mark Normand and I cohost "We're All Friends Here," the comedy chat show with boundary issues (also available as a podcast). For a list of upcoming gigs, check my MySpace page. What's here: At this blog, I post 1) funny stuff — jokes, videos, etc. and 2) not funny stuff about the art of standup. For more funny videos, check out my top videos playlist at YouTube. More:Mruby.com tells you everything else about Matt Ruby that you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask.
WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE Friday, July 11 at 8pm FREE! The Creek 10-93 Jackson Ave. Long Island City, NY
FEATURING: Rob Cantrell Kumail Ali Jacqueline Novak Dan St. Germaine
Comics do some standup and then hosts Matt Ruby and Mark Normand ask them inappropriate questions. Viva boundary issues!
The Creek is just one stop from Manhattan (7 train) or Brooklyn (G train). And there's a sweet outdoor patio for post-show drinking too. Map to The Creek.
P.S. Next Flying Carpet will be Sun, Aug 10 at Rififi.
Come on out for a special primetime edition of Flying Carpet on SUNDAY (6/29) at 8pm.
The show will feature TIMMY WILLIAMS (from IFC's "Whitest Kids U Know").
And THREE comics fresh off appearances on Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham": DAN BOULGER appeared on "Live at Gotham" last season and before that won the Boston Comedy Festival. JARED LOGAN's appearance on Gotham just debuted and he was also named "Best Comedian" at the Chicago Comedy Awards. VINCE AVERILL's Comedy Central appearance airs in a couple of weeks and he's also appeared at the DC Comedy Festival.
Plus, we'll have JOHN KNEFEL who writes for the Huffington Post and is a member of the sketch group Bare Hand Wolf Chokers.
...and perhaps a special surprise guest!?
FLYING CARPET WITH MATT RUBY Sunday, Jun 29 Doors at 7:30pm Show at 8pm $5 Rififi 332 E. 11th St. btwn 1st and 2nd Ave.
P.S. The next "We're All Friends Here" will be July 11 at The Creek. Stay tuned.
Thanks to everyone who came out to the We're All Friends Here show on Friday. People loved it and we learned a lot about our guests (and ourselves).
Topics covered included: -Pubic hair maintenance techniques -Jerking off with olive oil -What Adrien Brody was like in high school -Receding hairlines -Why black men have big dicks -What white people don't get about being black -Homosexual experiences -Tops, bottoms, and versatiles -Lots more
It really felt like a group therapy session. Except you felt like a pussy if you didn't reveal something way too personal.
Plus, there was The Coatrack of Offensiveness (featuring the racist hat, the sexist tie, and the anti-semitic scarf). This all gives new meaning to the phrase "You had to be there."
Next one is Friday, June 13 at 8pm at The Creek and The Cave. Yup, Friday the 13th. Scary.
Also: The last Flying Carpet was a hot one too with great comics, a dash of improv, 10 Things I Hate, and a search through attendee shopping bags. Next Flying Carpet is Sunday, June 29 at Rififi at 8pm. First Sunday one so let's see how it goes. 8pm slot is nice for the working folks too.
FLYING CARPET FREE comedy extravaganza 1-year anniversary show! Tue, May 6 (9:45pm) RIFIFI at 332 E. 11th St. btwn 1st and 2nd Ave. Hosted by Matt Ruby
I Eat Pandas was voted ECNY Best Improv Group and recently got a TimeOut NY Critic's Pick (TONY: "We like the way I Eat Pandas does it.") Eric André has been on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham and just auditioned for a full 1/2 hour Comedy Central Presents. He's gonna blow the place up. Joe Mande won "Best Emerging Comic" at the ECNY awards and hosts Totally J/K. Kenny Zimlinghaus can be heard on Cosmopolitan Radio on Sirius (and hosts a great show at Rififi that's happening right before Flying Carpet). Special imports Ryan Conner (DC) and Micah Sherman (Boston) are both hilarious. And I'll be hosting and showing a special video from DJ Underground.
Update: Just added Boston's Myq Kaplan to the bill. He got rave reviews for his recent Live at Gotham taping: "Myq Kaplan blew plenty of minds with his awesomeness, earning multiple applause breaks and the attention of everyone downstairs in the lounge/green room. Very poised...A shining performance that'll certainly get him industry attention."
Come on out to Flying Carpet, tomorrow (Tues) night at Rififi at 9:45 PM.
I'll be hosting and there are great comics on the bill: Matt McCarthy (just taped a set for Comedy Central's Live at Gotham and he was also at the Montreal Just For Laughs festival) Jesse Popp (he's been on Comedy Central's Premium Blend and cohosts the Beauty Bar show) Jamie Lee (VH1 Best Night Ever and Diamonds in the Fluff show) Luke Thayer as Tony Francione, The New York Sport Guru ("Loves this city baby, and isn't afraid to shed a tear for Big Blue") Joe Powers (cohost of Morrison Motel) Phil O'Reilly (elder statesman of laughs, saw this guy at a mic and said you have to do my show...imagine your dad or grandpa doing jokes about Tupac, but weirder and funnier)
And it's free too.
Flying Carpet with Matt Ruby FREE Comedy Extravaganza Tuesday, April 1 at 9:45 PM Rififi 332 E. 11th St. btwn 1st and 2nd Ave.
The next "Flying Carpet with Matt Ruby" will be at Rififi on Tuesday, April 1 at 9:45 PM. I'm hosting and comics will include Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham), Jesse Popp (Comedy Central's Premium Blend), Joe Powers, Jamie Lee, and more. It's free too.
Come check out the sweet lineup tonight at Flying Carpet: Todd Lynn (LETTERMAN, HBO), Pete Holmes (VH1, Comedy Central, The Apiary says he's "boisterous, sharp, and fills a room with his energy and physical presence"), Uber Luber (ridiculous heavy metal duo), Sean Patton (was on THE TYRA BANKS SHOW yesterday and is "enthralling to watch" according to The Apiary), Cassidy Henehan (Gothamist says he's "endearingly goofy" with a "lovable shtick"), and Danny Lobell (host of Comical Radio's "The Danny Lobell Show" on WBMB).
Plus Matt Ruby action with a new edition of "10 things I hate," a video that features CELEBRITIES, some "Scrolling Ticker" commentary (you'll see), and more. All for free too. Don't be silly, come. (And yes, Rififi is still open!)
Flying Carpet with Matt Ruby FREE Comedy Extravaganza Tuesday, March 4 at 9:45 PM Rififi 332 E. 11th St. btwn 1st and 2nd Ave.
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FLYING CARPET ON MAR 4 Boy, Have I got a kipwinger of a show for ya. One week from tonight. Flying Carpet. Still at Rififi. With some hilarious comics "as seen on TV" -- on stations like HBO, Comedy Central, & VH1. You watch those! As I like to say, "It's not TV, it's cable TV." Full details at the end of this email.
UPCOMING SHOW AT UCB THEATER More excitement: I've got a show at UCB Theater on Thursday, March 20 at 6:30 PM. (Early worms, here's your shot at some non-late-night Ruby showness!) It's going to be a newfangled standup show with a big twist. More info soon...or just go make a reservation now: make reservation
LINEUP FOR NEXT FLYING CARPET Full details on next Tuesday's show:
Flying Carpet with Matt Ruby FREE Comedy Extravaganza Tuesday, March 4 At 9:45 PM
Featuring: Todd Lynn (HBO, BET) One of my fave NYC comics. Recently appeared on HBO's P. Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy. After you see him, you'll want to walk across a bridge to pick up cheesecake for him.
Uber Luber (Heavy metal comedy duo) Heavy metal duo that will bite the head off a bat if you look at 'em wrong.
Pete Holmes (VH1, Comedy Central) "Boisterous, sharp, and fills a room with his energy and physical presence" -The Apiary
Sean Patton "A performer who is wide-awake to the world around him both onstage and off, a quality which only makes his comedy that much more enthralling to watch." -The Apiary
Cassidy Henehan The King of New Orleans. We got arrested together recently!
& more!?
RIFIFI 332 E. 11th St. btwn 1st and 2nd Ave.
Other upcoming shows: Wed Feb 27 @ 8 PM "Get it While You Can" @ 507 Bar Mar 8 @ 11 PM The Stand Up Experience @ The Pit
Flying Carpet is the free monthly show I host at Rififi. The past few have been great...this video will give ya a peek at the last show:
Tomorrow (Tuesday) night is the next one...
FLYING CARPET FREE comedy extravaganza Tuesday, Feb 5 (9:45pm) RIFIFI at 332 E. 11th St. btwn 1st and 2nd Ave.
Hosted by Matt Ruby and featuring: Dan Boulger (http://www.myspace.com/danboulger) Mike Vecchione (http://www.myspace.com/mikevcomedy) Kumail Nanjiani (http://www.myspace.com/5kumails) Becky Ciletti (http://www.myspace.com/ciletti) Brad Steuernagel (http://www.myspace.com/bsteuernagel) Joselyn Hughes (http://www.myspace.com/joselynhughes) Dan Hirshon (http://www.danhirshon.com/) Mark Normand (http://www.myspace.com/heresmarkk)
Dan Boulger won the Boston Comedy Festival. He and Mike Vecchione have both appeared on Comedy Central. Eugene Mirman called Kumail Nanjiani one of "the funniest comedians not enough people are aware of right now." And everyone else on the show is super funny too. In fact, if this show was a woman, it'd be one classy broad.
My show Flying Carpet started at Mo Pitkin's and then that place shut down. I moved it to Rififi. Now the same thing's happening again: Rififi To Close (?). Sigh.
The whole story is that Robert, the owner of RiFiFi, gathered a bunch of the people who do shows (and some of staff at the bar) the other night and basically said that the bar will close under present ownership at the end of February, but that he was willing to let any of us take over the lease and try to take it over under new management. There are a few more details than that, but let's just leave it at that for now.
It is true there is probably a five percent chance Rififi may exist under new management, but without a doubt, Invite Them Up will hold its last show at that particular venue on the 27th of February.
That doesn't mean the show is over-- we will be doing some specials from time to time throughout New York City and probably go on tour in the future.
Bummer that this means the end of Invite Them Up, prob the best downtown show out there. Where will the other Rififi shows move to...Piano's? Brooklyn maybe?
As for Flying Carpet, I'll do one more at Rififi (Feb. 5) and then prob move to a secret undisclosed location for the next one after that. Could actually be very cool. Stay tuned.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) night, Flying Carpet returns. I'll be hosting, showing a video, and getting funky. All the acts are great but I'm especially psyched for the NYC debut of Tony Pizzazz & Dr. Xanax, who are coming down from Boston. Here's their description at MySpace:
Victims and gentlemen. I am Tony Pizzazz. Magician/Level 3 sex offender. I was recently reunited with my former partner, Dr. Xanax, the Hypnorapist. Please come check out one of our performances. Our shows are unlike anything you've ever experienced before. It's something you'll never forget, no matter how hard you try. Just let it happen...
FLYING CARPET FREE comedy extravaganza Tue, Jan 15 (9:45pm) RIFIFI at 332 E. 11th St. btwn 1st and 2nd Ave.
FEATURING: * God's Pottery - Christian acoustic folk duo, new record out on Comedy Central Records * Tony Pizzazz & Dr. Xanax - UNBELIEVABLE magic act from Boston...so good it's criminal * Master Lee - Kung Fu comic with appearances on Conan O'Brien, Showtime At The Apollo, America's Most Wanted, & Sesame Street * John F. O'Donnell - ECNY Emerging Comic Award nominee * Dan Curry - Comic, author, and comic strip artist
Tonight (11/27), you will have the the time of your life. You've never felt like this before. Yes, I swear it's the truth. And you owe it all to Flying Carpet.
I'm talking about the stacked lineup at TONIGHT'S FREE FLYING CARPET SHOW AT RIFIFI AT 9:45PM (map). On the bill: From San Francisco, Mr. Will Franken. I'd describe his act but you just gotta see it. SF Weekly called him the best comedian in San Francisco and the SF Bay Guardian called him “the best alternative to psychedelic drugs.” So if you're trying to quit LSD, this is the perfect show for you. Also bringing the trippiness: Mr. Reggie Watts. Beatboxing soul confusionist extraordinaire. He will also blow your mind. And there's sketch group Jerk Practice. Saw these guys kill it at a Halloween show and I said come bring some of that to Flying Carpet and they said, "Right on!"
And that's not all...We also have Ms. Julie Klausner, star of Obsessed with Julie and Jackie, a righteous show at UCB (they make great videos too). She's also a writer for "The Big Gay Sketch Show" so if you're gay it will be right up your alley. And if you're not gay, she's a chick...so no worries. Also: Mr. Vince Averill, a super standup who's performed around the country and stars in his own weekly comedy show on Sundays at Beauty Bar. He will be kickin' it in a very Byron Allen-esque way.
And it will all be hosted by yours truly, the King of Siam, Mr. Matt Ruby. I will tell you all about Moby's #1 fan who has been threatening to kill me!
And you get all that for free. Damn. See you there at 9:45 pm. Cuz' you're the one thing I can't get enough of.
Before you get your turkey on, here's an early warning for next week's Flying Carpet show at Rififi...It's a stellar lineup with standup, sketch, video, & music:
FLYING CARPET FREE comedy extravaganza Tuesday, Nov 27 (9:45pm) RIFIFI at 332 E. 11th St. btwn 1st and 2nd Ave.
Will Franken (http://www.willfranken.com/) Named “best alternative to psychedelic drugs” by the SF Bay Guardian!
Reggie Watts (http://www.reggiewatts.com/) "Amazing and unlike anything you have ever seen. Unless you have seen a comedic stream of conscious operatic beat-boxing marvel. Then it's like that."—Eugene Mirman
Jerk Practice (http://www.jerkpractice.com/) Sketch goup that hosts "A Show of Hands" at The Creek and the Cave
Julie Klausner (http://julieklausner.com/) Host of OBSESSED with Julie and Jackie at UCB
Vince Averill (http://www.vinceaverill.com/) Host of Sunday nights at Beauty Bar
FLYING CARPET FREE comedy extravaganza Tuesday, Nov. 27 (9:45pm) RIFIFI at 332 E. 11th St. btwn 1st and 2nd Ave. Featuring Will Franken, Reggie Watts, Julie Klausner, and Jerk Practice.
Howdy you. Flying Carpet's back in action this Thursday. It'll be UPSTAIRS at Mo Pitkin's and free. Starts at 7pm *sharp* so don't lollygag.
FLYING CARPET FREE Standup Comedy Extravaganza Thu, Aug 30 at 7pm Mo Pitkin's (Upstairs) Ave A btwn 2nd and 3rd Streets http://www.mopitkins.com/
COMICS: Demetri Martin (http://www.demetrimartin.com/) Joe Alexander (http://www.myspace.com/kingjaffi) Matt Ruby (http://www.sandpapersuit.com) Raquel D'Apice (http://www.myspace.com/theuglyvolvo) Matt Maragno (http://www.myspace.com/mattmaragno) Sean O'Connor (http://www.myspace.com/thecomedyofseanoconnor) Brooke Van Poppelen (http://www.myspace.com/brookevpcomedy) ...and special guest!?
* The picture on the flyer is of a stingray. I took it at the Baltimore Aquarium. But quite a few people who have seen this flyer see something different when they look at it. They see female naughty parts. You know what I call these people? Perverts.
** That said, it would be pretty awesome if a girl referred to her jj as a "stingray." Ladies, work on it.
FLYING CARPET FREE Standup Comedy Extravaganza Sat, July 28 at 7pm Mo Pitkin's (Downstairs) Ave A btwn 2nd and 3rd Streets
Check out this lineup! Neal Brennan (co-creator/writer of Chappelle Show) Larry Murphy (http://www.myspace.com/lsmurphy) Matt McCarthy (http://www.myspace.com/howcanthisnamebetaken) Jesse Popp (http://www.myspace.com/jwpopp) Noah Garfinkel (http://www.myspace.com/noahgarf) Dan Soder (http://www.myspace.com/scareddan) Matt Ruby (http://www.sandpapersuit.com) & more!?
...Hosted by Simon Beauregard (France's #1 standup comic!)
This Thursday is the debut of "Flying Carpet" (a show I'm doing with some friends). Come on out.
Flying Carpet An extravaganza of comedy and more Thu 10 May 9:30pm $3
Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction Downstairs room 34 Avenue A (between E 2nd and 3rd Streets) http://www.mopitkins.com/
Featuring: Kristen Schaal (http://www.myspace.com/kristenschaal) Andres Dubouchet (http://andresdubouchet.com) Matt Ruby (http://www.sandpapersuit.com) Landon Kirksey (http://www.lovelandon.com) Dan Soder (http://www.myspace.com/scareddan) Joe Alexander (http://www.myspace.com/kingjaffi) & more
Permalink | 7/10/2008 
